![27986315986 6570d0b134 O](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/871d537d-fac6-47ff-8164-6e6c3fdb51af/27986315986_6570d0b134_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=450&mono=ab287a&q=80&rect=720%2C1199%2C6023%2C3393&w=800)
If you carry a smartphone, you essentially have a 24/7 singles bar in your pocket.
Show Notes
Thanks to technology, we are more connected than ever—digitally. But at what cost? How have technologies, like online dating sites and apps like Tinder, changed attitudes and behaviors? How do we choose a partner and stay interested when we have an almost infinite world of choices at our fingertips? Will marriage become a thing of the past? Match.com’s Chief Scientific Advisor Helen Fisher joins Eric Klinenberg, co-author of "Modern Romance," and Christie Hefner, former CEO of Playboy Enterprises for a conversation about technology’s toll on intimacy.
Explore
Related episodes
![34791856194 C43a35ee88 H](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/ee4347e2-5c29-47f1-b2f9-f07ed25062c4/34791856194_c43a35ee88_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=b78045&q=80&rect=273%2C0%2C1067%2C1067&w=400)
![34791856194 C43a35ee88 H](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/ee4347e2-5c29-47f1-b2f9-f07ed25062c4/34791856194_c43a35ee88_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=273%2C0%2C1067%2C1067&w=400)
Best-selling author Susan Orlean says ignorance about a subject is a powerful igniter of curiosity.
![35763129085 A2d90e101c O](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/50a273a3-bd3e-49ef-9206-f5a873672b62/35763129085_a2d90e101c_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=ab287a&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C2529%2C2529&w=400)
![35763129085 A2d90e101c O](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/50a273a3-bd3e-49ef-9206-f5a873672b62/35763129085_a2d90e101c_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C2529%2C2529&w=400)
Is the internet loosening our collective grasp on the truth?
![28020846475 96daa455c5 O](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/bc58c340-401e-4f40-b1b9-76ac87b46ae2/28020846475_96daa455c5_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=4b7780&q=80&rect=924%2C6%2C2625%2C2624&w=400)
![28020846475 96daa455c5 O](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/bc58c340-401e-4f40-b1b9-76ac87b46ae2/28020846475_96daa455c5_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=924%2C6%2C2625%2C2624&w=400)
Why do happily married couples cheat? Esther Perel, author of the new book "The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity," talks with Hanna Rosin, co-host of NPR's Invisibilia.
![adobe stock](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null423258ea-83ae-40cc-b083-54bff564fb8d/AdobeStock_190949733.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=7d247d&q=80&rect=1672%2C0%2C4017%2C4016&w=400)
![adobe stock](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null423258ea-83ae-40cc-b083-54bff564fb8d/AdobeStock_190949733.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=1672%2C0%2C4017%2C4016&w=400)
David Agus, author of "The Lucky Years," says we’re living in a golden age when the latest science and technology can customize care.
![Adobestock 256031759](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null72538a41-0240-4c7d-bd67-76ec9cd6ed5b/AdobeStock_256031759.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=7d247d&q=80&rect=153%2C0%2C4907%2C4912&w=400)
![Adobestock 256031759](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null72538a41-0240-4c7d-bd67-76ec9cd6ed5b/AdobeStock_256031759.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=153%2C0%2C4907%2C4912&w=400)
As scientists work to develop a vaccine to battle the coronavirus pandemic, many people question whether the process has been rushed and if the results will be effective and safe. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is responsible for approving new vaccines in this country. FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn and former FDA commissioner Dr. Peggy Hamburg say the agency use...
![Ain Feb3 Podcast](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null9beb7feb-1f55-4c93-bfef-0309d64d7a11/AIN-feb3-Podcast-.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=7d247d&q=80&rect=492%2C0%2C1267%2C1266&w=400)
![Ain Feb3 Podcast](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null9beb7feb-1f55-4c93-bfef-0309d64d7a11/AIN-feb3-Podcast-.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=492%2C0%2C1267%2C1266&w=400)
America’s Founders didn’t envision activist groups mobilizing on social media and disinformation spreading across the internet. Thanks to the web, new threats to democracy — like the January 6th attack on the US Capitol — have emerged. Nate Persily, professor of law at Stanford, talks with Jeffrey Rosen, president of the National Constitution Center, about why passion may...
![Aif Stock Hero Images 9](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/293409b0-d8f1-4dc9-8a0b-0354c2f235fb/AIFStockHeroImages9.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=b78045&q=80&rect=1202%2C0%2C3377%2C3375&w=400)
![Aif Stock Hero Images 9](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/293409b0-d8f1-4dc9-8a0b-0354c2f235fb/AIFStockHeroImages9.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=1202%2C0%2C3377%2C3375&w=400)
The automotive industry is going through a time of profound transformation, facing internal and external pressure to electrify America’s fleet of personal vehicles. General Motors has made a bold pledge to phase out internal combustion and produce only electric vehicles by the year 2035. CEO Mary Barra is leading the ambitious effort to revamp the company, after about a de...
![Sherry Turkle AIF 2015](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null378e079b-0784-4383-bb1e-26efdbc2cf0d/19924269521_4621fcccfa_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=b78045&q=80&rect=634%2C166%2C875%2C874&w=400)
![Sherry Turkle AIF 2015](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null378e079b-0784-4383-bb1e-26efdbc2cf0d/19924269521_4621fcccfa_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=634%2C166%2C875%2C874&w=400)
Conversation is facing a crisis in our culture. How do we navigate this "robotic moment?"
![AIF 2014 Kids these days](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null8f6cbb47-37c9-4f78-a616-caf2a3b4a3ab/14498910157_c776bfdf93_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=0a80bc&q=80&rect=350%2C127%2C899%2C899&w=400)
![AIF 2014 Kids these days](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null8f6cbb47-37c9-4f78-a616-caf2a3b4a3ab/14498910157_c776bfdf93_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=350%2C127%2C899%2C899&w=400)
How will emerging technologies continue to impact a new generation of Americans?
![34789661614 Ffdc5b8f7a H](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/dcf45fd8-fbff-4073-be70-f4cfecdf924e/34789661614_ffdc5b8f7a_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=4b7780&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C1067%2C1067&w=400)
![34789661614 Ffdc5b8f7a H](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/dcf45fd8-fbff-4073-be70-f4cfecdf924e/34789661614_ffdc5b8f7a_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C1067%2C1067&w=400)
Are America's divisions as deep and hopeless as we think?
![35656485796 60fa0ad686 H](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/e60dd16b-7506-4921-8a15-3cce6f466e7b/35656485796_60fa0ad686_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=ac473e&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C1067%2C1067&w=400)
![35656485796 60fa0ad686 H](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/e60dd16b-7506-4921-8a15-3cce6f466e7b/35656485796_60fa0ad686_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C1067%2C1067&w=400)
What does a future powered by algorithms and big intelligence mean for our lives?
![Adobestock 189174166](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null110bdb41-c455-4bd3-a8bf-c64707fdec43/AdobeStock_189174166.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=b78045&q=80&rect=1198%2C0%2C2739%2C2739&w=400)
![Adobestock 189174166](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null110bdb41-c455-4bd3-a8bf-c64707fdec43/AdobeStock_189174166.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=1198%2C0%2C2739%2C2739&w=400)
Last year Russia infiltrated the digital networks of federal agencies and many of America’s largest corporations, and last week’s armed insurrection on the US Capitol was fomented through disinformation campaigns on social media.
![adobe stock data technology](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/58cbc336-9bf9-4444-bc1e-a01bb6238ac1/AdobeStock_394624302.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=7d247d&q=80&rect=560%2C0%2C3170%2C3172&w=400)
![adobe stock data technology](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/58cbc336-9bf9-4444-bc1e-a01bb6238ac1/AdobeStock_394624302.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=560%2C0%2C3170%2C3172&w=400)
When you tick a box on an online privacy notice, just how much personal information are you giving away? Is the tradeoff worthwhile? When it comes to data, the relationship between companies and consumers is uneven — customers are getting a raw deal because there's no limit on what a company can collect. Who's job is it to regulate this space and better protect consumers'...
![Adobestock 202457959](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/eb08ae6d-c82b-45fe-919a-d825238088a6/AdobeStock_202457959.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=8a5f4e&q=80&rect=2916%2C0%2C2828%2C2828&w=400)
![Adobestock 202457959](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/eb08ae6d-c82b-45fe-919a-d825238088a6/AdobeStock_202457959.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=2916%2C0%2C2828%2C2828&w=400)
The industrial revolution and consequent terrible labor conditions sparked a wave of revolutions in Europe, and then a string of laws and protections for workers. As author and innovation expert Alec Ross describes it, we “rewrote the social contract.” But, Ross says, we may be due for another rewrite, as we transition from an industrial economy to one based on information...
![Aif Stock Hero Images 11](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/2bece249-26aa-4d54-ad8a-c4a41dadfd09/AIFStockHeroImages11.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=0a7c51&q=80&rect=455%2C0%2C3377%2C3375&w=400)
![Aif Stock Hero Images 11](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/2bece249-26aa-4d54-ad8a-c4a41dadfd09/AIFStockHeroImages11.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=455%2C0%2C3377%2C3375&w=400)
A technological future where our brain waves could be monitored and our thoughts decoded and analyzed — sometimes against our will — is not as far away as we think. But our existing legal protections and conception of human rights around cognitive liberty are trailing innovations in neurotechnology. Brain hacking tools and devices could bring massive benefits, for people s...
![stock hero](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/9373734c-74ff-45e0-ac39-c5528e6476d5/GettyImages-177418652.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=b78045&q=80&rect=396%2C0%2C2131%2C2131&w=400)
![stock hero](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/9373734c-74ff-45e0-ac39-c5528e6476d5/GettyImages-177418652.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=396%2C0%2C2131%2C2131&w=400)
Scientists could actually be close to being able to decode animal communication and figure out what animals are saying to each other. And more astonishingly, we might even find ways to talk back. The study of sonic communication in animals is relatively new, and researchers have made a lot of headway over the past few decades with recordings and human analysis. But recent...
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the social media giant needs the government’s help when it comes to making certain decisions.
![election security 2019 AIF](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/nulle2daf49c-9226-446a-9163-e40a25e8665c/48152964287_a2c0d57b8e_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=7d247d&q=80&rect=1637%2C304%2C2211%2C2209&w=400)
![election security 2019 AIF](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/nulle2daf49c-9226-446a-9163-e40a25e8665c/48152964287_a2c0d57b8e_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=1637%2C304%2C2211%2C2209&w=400)
Primary season is around the corner. How will the spread of misinformation be mitigated?
Boris Johnson, Michael Bloomberg, and Walter Isaacson on cities and tech innovation.
![Tko3521](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/739a8990-213d-4a81-8e8b-4b25e3ace5d4/_TKO3521.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&mono=b78045&q=80&rect=225%2C0%2C800%2C800&w=400)
![Tko3521](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/739a8990-213d-4a81-8e8b-4b25e3ace5d4/_TKO3521.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=225%2C0%2C800%2C800&w=400)
US Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith says her true self comes out in her work.